We believe the vegan lifestyle is for everyone. However, for many people the topic of bringing up children vegan (or even vegetarian!) is one of controversy. From the frequency of stories about vegan mums abandoning veganism during pregnancy (looking at you, Natalie Portman) to prevalent myths about the necessity of cow’s milk for children’s bones, it can be hard to feel supported when entering parenthood as a vegan family. Our new monthly column shows us how one delightful family are overcoming the challenges and embracing the joy of veganism with their adorable infant.
By Rebekah and Gavriel Wershbale
Lovely to welcome you back to learn more about our family’s vegan journey. Hopefully we can get to know each other a little better and address some of the questions that crop up regularly about baby and family oriented veganism.
This month we’d like to take you shopping with us, to show the kinds of places we shop at, how we eat out and the produce that forms the foundations of our diet. And we can’t overlook the importance of snacking – babies become ticking time bombs when they’re hungry so nibbles are essential. This of course applies to grumpy parents too. Ok, get your shoes on. Ready? Let’s go!
The fundamental basis of veganism is, unsurprisingly, vegetables. Fresh vegetables make up around 75% of an optimal vegan diet. When you’re eating this much veg it makes sense to forgo supermarkets and shop at local markets. The seasonal varieties of fruit are much better tasting and the staples – onions, potatoes, salad greens and tomatoes – are generally much cheaper as well as being of an appreciably higher quality than their force grown supermarket equivalents. Supermarkets also routinely homogenise fruit and vegetables which leads to unnecessary food waste whereas markets often sell cheap or even give away their surplus. Another great benefit of locally grown produce is that it is more nutritionally dense having been picked more recently and spent less time in transit and storage. A locally grown strawberry, for example, has a much higher Vitamin C content than a supermarket strawberry, which is imperative in that first year when your baby is building their immune system. Conventional wisdom told us to expect Isobel to have up to 8 colds in her first year. She’s not had one yet, and we put her strong constitution down to her diet and full term breastfeeding – which is a whole vegan adventure by itself.
Local markets have the huge advantage of being intimate and familiar too; Isobel enjoys a friendly, fun atmosphere at the markets we go to and looks forward to seeing the ladies who work there. After all, she’s known them her whole life, and they don’t mind her nibbling a few sneaky cherries. It’s a win-win situation!
Staying with the theme of independent shops, it’s great to locate and support your local health food shops. Most towns have one, and some places are lucky enough to have 2 or 3. Holland and Barrett may have the monopoly but they sell nothing that can’t be found independently – and they’re much less likely to order speciality items for you should you require something specific. Many wholefood and vegan product distributors, like Suma and Just Wholefoods, prefer to sell through smaller, family run businesses too so they often have a wider and more interesting selection. If you need a bit of advice and support then independent proprietors are likely to have a wealth of experience and expertise about the products they sell too, which is invaluable if you’re making a gradual transition to a vegan lifestyle and could do with a few recipe ideas, or just if you need a bit of reassurance that you’re not missing out on anything. Not only that, local shops are much more likely to sell vegan cake. Mmmmmm!
Our local health food shop hasn’t been open all that long but it’s already changed the weekly menus of lots of families we know for the better. We think it really is important to support local enterprise whenever the opportunity arises, from both an economical and ethical perspective. The sense of community we get is a bonus for Isobel – shopping isn’t just an activity, it’s a social event too
Stopping for lunch or just coffee along the way is a mixed bag – here in the futuristic year of 2015, most places do stock alternatives to meat and dairy that aren’t just salad (not that there’s ever anything wrong with a good salad), it simply requires the patience to ask questions and make sure you’ve found a reliable venue. Once found though, you’ve got a place for life! Even in our little town we have a couple of cafes that cater (enthusiastically) to us so we don’t have to go to Cafe Nero – who do have soya milk but charge an extra 35p for the privilege of having it. Isobel isn’t fussy at all so she eats anything from couscous to vine leaves to bean salads to roast vegetables. Most establishments will offer a selection, just be persistent and creative and always befriend the staff; they wouldn’t be working in food service if they didn’t want you to have a good dining experience.
Going out for dinner is by and large a similar experience, but while the weather’s agreeable and the days are long, picnics have been a big part of our lives. Taking time out to get into nature is calming and revitalising, and no one has to spend time cooking because you can put together a vegan mezze in minutes. We’re fortunate enough to be in walking distance of some glorious picnic spots, where we can relax without the worry of washing up. And Isobel can get her bare bum out in the sun, whilst enjoying her olives and pickles, which even the most accommodating of restaurants might pull a face at.
We’ll end on the high note of pickles and picnics, and talk about autumn alternatives to al fresco dining next time. Hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into how we live, and hopefully have some inspiration to check out your local shops. We’ll share some recipes and talk about cooking practicalities with a baby when we see you again.
Tweet @VEGAN24news with any ideas for next month’s instalment or questions for Rebekah and Gavriel!